Vintage Dress shoe appreciation, tips, maintenance and advice

[JohnAAG]

Those are pretty damn stunning...

Sorry, Hanover LB Sheppards. I got into the thrift thread habit of shorthanding everything.

 

[smfdoc]

Well I used the 10% discount to try a pair of Hanover shell LWBs. I tried to get @madhat to buy them, but they were still there. We will see if they fit.

 

[mormonopoly]

Here's one of the rarest and most unique pairs in my collection: 1930's Star Brand art deco style shoes.

 

[wasmisterfu]

Thank you for the help. Here are a couple of pictures from the inside. Extremely clean shoes. As for the golf shoes...they look pretty nice, just couldn't leave them sitting there!
View attachment 1059841
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Unfortunately the date code has worn off in that shot. But... the insole with the all caps says they’re likely late 88 (for their Spring 89 catalog introduction) based on the all caps Allen Edmonds branding, which was phased out in 89 for the logo branding they used until earlier this year... when Caleres decided to bring back a variation of the the all caps branding.

They are most certainly first run / first year sandfords, made during an AE qualitative high-point. Very nice find indeed.

 

[wasmisterfu]

Here's one of the rarest and most unique pairs in my collection: 1930's Star Brand art deco style shoes.
View attachment 1059860

Beautiful and interesting. Not just in the details, but also the last they used. Can we get some extra Appreciation of those sometime, ncluding interiors?

 

[mormonopoly]

Here are some more pictures of them. I'll try to remember to take an interior shot soon.

 

[M635Guy]

Here's one of the rarest and most unique pairs in my collection: 1930's Star Brand art deco style shoes.
View attachment 1059860

Those are
So.
Damn.
Cool.

 

[mph57]

Unfortunately the date code has worn off in that shot. But... the insole with the all caps says they’re likely late 88 (for their Spring 89 catalog introduction) based on the all caps Allen Edmonds branding, which was phased out in 89 for the logo branding they used until earlier this year... when Caleres decided to bring back a variation of the the all caps branding.

They are most certainly first run / first year sandfords, made during an AE qualitative high-point. Very nice find indeed.

I really appreciate the information! Here is a picture of the other shoe which hopefully shows the date code? Does 1988/89 still check with you?

 

[wasmisterfu]

Here are some more pictures of them. I'll try to remember to take an interior shot soon.

Gorgeous.

 

[wasmisterfu]

I really appreciate the information! Here is a picture of the other shoe which hopefully shows the date code? Does 1988/89 still check with you?

View attachment 1059872

Yup, made on Monday January 2, 1989, which fits perfectly with all the details (welts, stitching details, insole branding, etc.).

 

[mph57]

Yup, made on Monday January 2, 1989, which fits perfectly with all the details (welts, stitching details, insole branding, etc.).

Thank you once again!

 

[friendlygoz]

Here's one of the rarest and most unique pairs in my collection: 1930's Star Brand art deco style shoes.
View attachment 1059860

Boom goes the dynamite! Those are amazing.

 

[dddggjj]

Here's one of the rarest and most unique pairs in my collection: 1930's Star Brand art deco style shoes.
View attachment 1059860

Do my eyes deceive me or is the stitch count per inch as high as it looks? Those are very sharp looking shoes. It also amazes me how good some of these older shoes and styles look compared to today's shoes.

 

[wasmisterfu]

Do my eyes deceive me or is the stitch count per inch as high as it looks? Those are very sharp looking shoes. It also amazes me how good some of these older shoes and styles look compared to today's shoes.

You know what’s really sad? Florsheim’s workers were still investing nearly the same level of workmanship into their shoes right into the late 80’s:

1989

1988

Nobody today sews their uppers with that stitch density.

 

[well-kept]

I really appreciate the information! Here is a picture of the other shoe which hopefully shows the date code? Does 1988/89 still check with you?

View attachment 1059872

As to the reading of AE's 4-digit date code, what do we make of a pair of 80s shell Leeds with the 'date code' of 3835? Third day of the 83rd week?